Kudzu Treatment not Effective as Remedy for Alcoholism Addiction Technology Transfer Center ATTC Network

When alcohol is consumed, kudzu may reduce the time it takes for it to travel to the brain. A slightly increased concentration of alcohol in the brain results in a quicker reward, which in turn reduces a person’s desire to drink more alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption is a leading cause of illness worldwide (Shield et al., 2013) and has a significant impact on the health of millions people. The impact of excessive alcohol consumption results in increased healthcare costs, loss of productivity, alcohol-related crime (including assault and sexual abuse), and motor vehicle accidents. With animal studies showing that these extracts reduced alcohol consumption, the next step was to see whether this would work in humans, Dr. Penetar said. Lukas and Lee applied for, and were granted, a patent for kudzu extract to treat alcohol abuse and dependence.

  • Increases in 5-HIAL have been shown to be correlated with decreased alcohol consumption in hamsters (Keung et al., 1995).
  • The roots are also resistant to herbicides and it can take 3–10 years of repeated treatments with herbicides before the nutrient reserves of the roots are exhausted.
  • Moreover, genistein-induced histone H3 and H4 hyperacetylation led to ERα reactivation in MDA-MB-231 ER-negative cells, which sensitized these cells to tamoxifen and HDAC inhibitor TSA treatment.

Thus, I’m going to make sure I cover all of these topics and more so you become very knowledgeable about how kudzu works for helping people get better from alcoholism. In this article, I’m going to discuss how to use kudzu recovery https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/kudzu-extract-and-alcohol-addiction-can-it-help-you-drink-less/ for alcoholism. Kudzu is an invasive weed that has also been used to treat alcoholism for well over one thousand years. This copyrighted material is provided by Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Consumer Version.

Side Effects

Another study shows that kudzu flower might be helpful to lessen hot flashes in menopausal women. We read the research to find out what science has to say about this plant. The kudzu plant is a vine that resembles poison ivy and is native to several Asian countries. Some research specifically on the kudzu species Pueraria mirifica suggests that doses of 50–100 mg per day appear to have a low risk of adverse side effects (18).

How do I stop habitual drinking?

  1. Put it in writing.
  2. Set a drinking goal.
  3. Keep a diary of your drinking.
  4. Don't keep alcohol in your house.
  5. Drink slowly.
  6. Choose alcohol-free days.
  7. Watch for peer pressure.
  8. Keep busy.

They reported alcohol consumption and desire to use alcohol using a wrist actigraphy device; twice weekly laboratory visits were scheduled to monitor medication adherence and adverse events. Kudzu is one of the earliest medicinal plants used in traditional Chinese medicine. It has many profound pharmacological actions, including antidipsotropic (antialcohol abuse) activity.58,59 Two of its isoflavones, daidzin and daidzein, account for this effect.

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Numerous studies showed genistein as a strong gene-specific DNA demethylating agent in various cancers. In breast cancer, reactivation of hTERT [125], GSTP1 [128], and numerous other tumor suppressor genes occurred after treatment with genistein [129]. Consumption of a genistein enriched diet was positively correlated with changes in prostate but not liver or brain DNA methylation at CpG islands of specific mouse genes [130]. Studies conducted in colon cancer cells revealed genistein-mediated promoter demethylation of WNT5a leading to an increase in its expression in cell lines from earlier stages of colon cancer but not in cell lines from later stages [138]. Zhang et al. [139] found that dietary genistein maintains a normal Wnt signaling in the colon epithelium of carcinogen-injected mice through regulating the DNA methylation of Sfrp5 promoter. An intriguing observation on tissue differentiation by genistein-induced demethylation of steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) accompanied with mild proliferation of the endometrium was reported by Matsukura et al. [140].

  • Lukas and Lee hold a patent for kudzu extract to treat alcohol abuse and dependence.
  • Furthermore, it’s likely that the suggested doses for kudzu root will vary depending on the manufacturer and the type of supplement you may be considering.
  • Treatment with Radix Pueraiae dose dependently inhibited the alcohol-induced suppression of Fos expression in the hippocampus, suggesting that Radix Pueraiae may alleviate the alcohol-induced disruption of hippocampal function (Jang et al., 2003).
  • After completion of the program each subject re-took the AUD questionnaire and also filled out an exit interview.
  • While this is a small pilot study requiring additional large scale controlled studies, we are encouraged.

The compound puerarin is always found in the highest concentration among all the isoflavones, second is daidzin, followed by daidzein. For targeting alcohol dependence, studies have used dosages of 1.2 grams of kudzu root extract per day over 1 week, or a single dose of 2 grams before drinking alcohol, without noted side effects (3, 19). Puerarin, being the most abundant component in Gegen, has been identified as performing a variety of functions, including antihypertension, antiarrhythmic, antioxidant, antiischemic, antiapoptotic, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective properties [113,114]. Gegen has been used for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes [113].

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On average, they consumed 3.5 (±0.55) beers when treated with placebo, and 2.4 (±0.41) beers when treated with puerarin. One of the herbals in Declincol, Gentian, is considered the king of the bitter herbs. In tests, it was found that the bitter taste from Gentian can still be perceived even when diluted down to 1 part in 12,000 [25].

  • This product may be unsafe when used before surgery or other medical procedures.
  • The study was funded by an NIAAA grant to Natural Pharmacia International Inc, with Dr. Yanze Liu as principal investigator.
  • Despite its history, the mechanism of action for kudzu extract is still unknown, and that is what the current research explores.
  • Kawahata et al. [25] recently reported on the enhancement properties of Tangerine Peel extracts to facilitate potently- mediated transcription linked to the upstream cAMP/PKA/ERK/CREB pathway in hippocampal neurons.
  • Purified puerarin another ingredient in Kudzu root was also shown to suppress alcohol intake in the short term as well reducing withdrawal reactions in high ethanol preferring rats.
  • A. Policosanol is a natural compound derived from sugar-cane wax, beeswax or yams.
  • They can give you personalized advice that takes into account any other supplements or medications you may be taking.

Harvard researchers first discovered the anti-drinking effects of the kudzu extract in 2005. Previous studies had shown that kudzu extracts reduced alcohol drinking in rats and hamsters. In this study, researchers tested the effect of kudzu extract on drinking by humans in a naturalistic setting. One of the ancillary factors in alcohol dependence is blood sugar imbalances.

Furthermore, Duffy et al. [34] reported using multiple regression analyses, greater bitterness from 3.2 mMPROP was a significant predictor of greater ethanol intensity and less alcohol intake. Interestingly, genotype was a significant predictor of alcohol intake, but not ethanol intensity. Bitter herbs have a long and successful tradition of use for a number of health purposes [16]. Bitters have been used for centuries to improve digestion, and are still commonly used in many cuisines to be taken before meals to stimulate digestive powers. It used to be assumed that bitters only stimulated receptors in the mouth, and then somewhat in the digestive tract. It has been demonstrated however, that bitter receptors exist throughout the entire gastro-intestinal tract [17,18].

kudzu extract for alcoholism

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